PATHANAMTHITTA: A couple in their sixties was charred to death in their car in a suicide attempt at Vengal in Tiruvalla in Pathanamthitta district on Friday. The victims were identified as Raju Thomas, 69, and his wife Laiji Thomas, 63, both residents of Thukalassery in Tiruvalla.
Initially, the fire in the car had presented a difficult situation for the rescuers. The cops faced difficulty in recognising the passengers, as their remains got completely burnt and disfigured. But the woman was identified through the ornaments which she wore.
Tiruvalla DySP, Ashad S, while confirming the incident as suicide, said, the cops found a suicide note from the balcony of their house addressed to police officials. “It is learnt that family issues led to the suicide. Their only son is in a de-addiction centre. A BSc Nursing graduate, the son had a job in Bahrain where he was caught using drugs several times and sent to the de-addiction centre.
However, he refused to mend his ways. They also had financial problems for further treatment of their 38-year-old son who is in a de-addiction centre in Thodupuzha. Drugs also destroyed the family life of the youth. As they had nothing to hope in their life, they took the extreme step,” the police officer said.
He also said, the couple, must have used some flammable substance like petrol or diesel inside the car but this has to be verified with lab test results as everything inside the vehicle was burnt. The Fire Force also used a water pump to douse the fire which also cleared whatever remained inside the vehicle.
The incident happened around 1 pm on Friday in an isolated place surrounded by paddy fields. As per the police, seeing the fire during a patrol, they initially thought the flames were from a pile of garbage and informed fire officials. Though the rescue workers rushed to the spot and doused the fire, the car was completely gutted in the blaze with the couple.
(If you are having suicidal thoughts, or are worried about a friend or need emotional support, someone is always there to listen. Call Sneha Foundation - 04424640050, Tele Manas - 14416 (available 24x7) or iCall, the Tata Institute of Social Sciences' helpline - 02225521111, which is available Monday to Saturday from 8 am to 10 pm.)